Coastal Shipping in Greece

Greece boasts thousands of islands and invites you to discover them. The major coastal shipping companies have direct or corresponding daily routes to all islands with their newfangled and luxurious ships. In our web site you may choose among the best coastal shipping companies in Greece, in order to visit the captivating Greek islands, such as the Cyclades islands, Dodecanese islands, Ionian islands, North and South Aegean islands, Sporades islands, etc.

In island-rich Greece, shipping is a culture in itself. Always prominent in the eastern Mediterranean sea-trade since the 18th century, the Greek-owned fleet is currently the foremost worldwide, with 16% of global tonnage. Greek coastal shipping ranks among the most prominent in Europe moving passengers and cargo between mainland Greece and the Greek islands, or crisscrossing the Adriatic between Greece and Italy. At present, there are approximately 30 coastal shipping enterprises in Greece operating over 120 ships, including high-speed ferries, catamarans and hydrofoils.

Two years ago, an extensive fleet modernisation program was launched which drastically improved the face of the Greek coastal shipping, with great emphasis on the ferry business between the mainland and the islands and between Greece and Italy. The introduction of state-of-the-art, high-speed luxury ferries, some of them capable of carrying approximately 450 passengers and 125 cars at speeds exceeding 40 knots, has in most cases reduced travel time by over 30%, enabling a most effective and comfortable transport service.

The newly minted high-speed vehicle/passenger ferries have dramatically shortened the distance between Greece and Italy. In 1995, it took 30 hours to sail from Patra to Ancona, while today it takes 19-20 hours. The new lines connect the ports of Patra and Igoumenitsa in western Greece, with the eastern Italian ports of Ancona, Venice and Trieste in northern Italy, and Bari and Brindisi in the south. There are also year-round, regular ferry schedules connecting Piraeus with Haifa in Israel, Limassol in Cyprus and the western coastline of Turkey.

Travelling on these ferries and experiencing the warm hospitality of their expert and seasoned crews is pure delight. Combining a wide array of amenities at very reasonable prices, they feature comfortable accommodations ranging from outside cabins with private shower and WC to internal economy cabins, air conditioning, bars, shops, restaurants, satellite communication, gambling machines and video games, casino, pools, disco, movie theatre and special areas for campers and caravans. Daily departure times for long distances are mostly scheduled at convenient evening hours, ensuring timely morning arrival at destination and an extra day for vacationers who combine road and sea travel.

While Greece has innumerable ports connecting the mainland with the islands, the main port with the heaviest tourist and commercial traffic is the large Mediterranean port of Piraeus that dates back to the 3rd millennium BC and is the gateway to Athens. It has easy access from most points in the capital and is the link to most Aegean islands with regular schedules for ferries, passenger boats and hydrofoils. There are at least another 138 major ports on the mainland and the islands, of which Thessaloniki, Patra, Igoumenitsa and Rafina are the largest. The Greek government has already made significant improvements in many ports throughout the country, while plans exist to create new hubs, so ships can dock at various ports more often. There are also plans to construct new ports and upgrade approximately 40 others.

Through computerising the reservation and booking system, implementing an electronic tracking system and using fast, high-tech vessels, Greece's coastal shipping industry is prepared to navigate smoothly through the challenges in the years to come.